Coats for Kids: Thousands of kids need your help keeping warm this winter

by Jeannette Reyes

LITTLE ROCK (KATV)-Thousands of Arkansas children may face{}freezing temperatures without an adequate coat.

Channel 7 is teaming up with Hanger's Cleaners with a goal of donating 5,000 coats to kids in Central Arkansas.

"We're just going to have to wear what we can wear to keep warm," said Kristen Freeman, a mother of two.

That's what Kristen Freeman had to tell her 8- and 10-year-old when they asked her about winter coats.

"I was like son, I don't have a job. So,{}[it's] going to be like tough to get coats for the winter," she said. "I don't have anything, it's just hard."

Freeman is one of thousands of parents who needs help keeping their kids warm this winter. And every year, with the help of Channel 7 and Hangers Cleaners, the Watershed distributes gently used coats to people like her.

"Some of these coats are going to be worn to bed at night because there's no heater in the house," said Rev. Hezekiah Stewart of the Watershed.

But before the coats go to their new owners, they're brought to{}the Hangers{}plant where they're sorted, repaired and pressed and they come out looking brand new.

"Sometimes a missing button or a zipper is broken. But usually not a whole lot. They really are good to give good coats," said Shari Romes, retail manager with Hangers Cleaners.

The nearly one thousand coats collected so far won't be distributed until early December but when we told Hangers Cleaners about Freeman they pulled some strings for us and then pulled some coats.

Coats will be collected until December 6th. You an donate a coat at any Hangers location in Central Arkansas.